You may put the futon out on the curb on the same evenings that garbage is collected in your neighborhood.

I would recommend putting it out on a day when it's not raining because if it's in good condition, someone may take it. Once it's wet, it doesn't stand much of a chance of finding a new home.

I'm not sure but I had the impression that some Salvation Army stores will pick up furniture that is in good condition. Somebody else may know whether or not the store on 14th Street picks up or not. Or call them at 201-653-3071.

It wasn’t until I moved out of my parents’ home and got my own place that I started changing my shoes when I got home.

I was bringing in sand and grit on my shoes and constantly sweeping the floors. I used to wear high heels too and they would leave these pock-marks in the soft wood. So I stopped being lazy and started wearing a beach-type sandal with a soft wedge that’s easy to kick on or off… and my floors are happy!

PS... I think the soft shoe is better than barefoot. Some people walk very hard on their heels.

If somebody told her that the park was a dump before the renovation, then she was being honest about what she heard.

In my opinion, the park looked pretty worn out before the renovation, and not exactly wedding material.

I think it’s great that a wedding took place there .

I’d love to see a wedding party having pictures taken in the park, complete with bag pipers, flutes and men wearing Irish kilts. Particularly since Hamilton Park has such an interesting (Irish) history.

And since I brought up the subject of the Irish… I think it would be neat to have "our own" Irish festival in Hamilton park. Not on St. Patrick’s Day but during the warmer months on a day that could be dedicated to the old horseshoe district, with a walking tour of the neighborhood and Irish music & dancing. The local business’ could benefit from the extra foot traffic and offer “corned beef & cabbage” specials, traditional stews and sell a lot of beer & whiskey. It could be a good event for the neighborhood.

I'm always amazed at how few cars stop for emergency and police vehicles when the lights are flashing and the sirens are blaring. I feel so "old school" when I pull over while so many cars pass me with no sense of care. Did they change the laws?

I wish officers would give tickets for this. Of course you cannot stage an emergency... yet I see it so often that the cops must see it too. Cops... if you're reading this... please give more tickets to the drivers that fail to stop for emergency vehicles. Or stop me and give me twenty bucks for doing so, because I feel like the only idiot that pulls over and stops.

Vigilante wrote:Ever wonder what happens to the money that people throw in the fountain?

The fountain at Van Vorst Park has plantings around it. Miniature roses, with tiny thorns..... that help prevent people from standing and fishing into the thing. A natural fence. It could have been done here.

I never could understand why woman fall into this lifestyle. Is it for money, attention, the need to be wanted or the notion that someone (anyone) considers them sexy?

What does the term high-end hooker suppose to mean? A classy hooker opposed to a raunchy hooker? Both are morally cheap. Or is this fancy language to mean they charge more?

I used to work in the library. The adult books are called “adult’ books. But in that ‘other’ industry, adult means x-rated. Remember when they used to refer to ‘adult’ books as dirty books? Is that now a dirty term to use and not a politically correct thing to say? And what about a gentlemen’s club….. would a (real) gentleman do that sort of thing? Nice play on words!

How could we get the basketball league to move back to Enos Jones Park, where they played last summer?

I called the Department of Recreation and have learned that the basketball court that used to be at the end of 8th Street in Enos Jones Park has been removed. This speaks volumes because if basketball in our neighborhood is so popular, than how was it removed so quietly? And why was there no uproar about it being removed by the HPNA? I doubt the removal was done without their approval.

While on the phone with the Dept of Rec, I asked what other parks hosted the City league and I learned that besides Hamilton Park, they are held at an indoor facility in the Union section. While there are many parks in Jersey City and several of these parks have basketball courts in them, only Hamilton Park hosts the City leagues.

Remember, during the balloting process, the community was asked for their feedback and therefore, it’s not appropriate for others to squash the Ninth Street folks’ concerns about noise. They not only got the court, they got the leagues too. It’s some other parks turn to host the league.

In my opinion, Liberty State Park is an excellent place to build a recreational facility.

Both the results of park renovation survey conducted by Jennifer Greely and the HPNA clearly demonstrated community support for a pet free area. The surveyresults specify that 30% of Hamilton Park be designated as “Pet Free”. The current configuration is very close to the 30% figure.

There is a statement in the HP Renovation report that is worth mentioning. It’s as follows:

“This report is the result of an enormous collaborative effort by many residents of Hamilton Park and members of the Hamilton Park Neighborhood Association (HPNA). The balloting process was spearheaded by the Park Committee of the HPNA, of which the following people were members:

I understand that people come and go and that new members have joined this organization. However, the folks at the HPNA that were involved when this balloting study took place know that the tools used to collect this study was given to the HPNA by Cliff Waldman from the Jersey City Parks Coalition and Friends of Van Vorst Park.

For those new to the area or not educated in this community political stuff, the HPNA had been around for 20 years and didn’t know how to get a park renovation going. It wasn’t until Cliff Waldman gave the HPNA the questionnaire that the Friends of Van Vorst Park used to successfully have Van Vorst Park renovated, that the HPNA got started.

Cliff and I may have our differences, but he is the reason that Hamilton Park has seen a successful renovation. Yet, the only mention of him in this report is “negative”. Shame on the HPNA for not politely mentioning him in the credits and properly thanking him.

umestazzuele wrote:this year is my first attempt at gardening. i built a 6'X4' raised bed and installed in my yard. filled it when garden soil and topped it off with some manure. planted a bunch of herbs, radishes, eggplant, peppers, and of course tomatoes. i got a little worried since the weather has been kinda crappy the past week or so and i thought the lack of sunlight would really hurt my tomatoes. a lot of the leaves turn brown and started to wilt, but it seems to have perked back up. question: does anyone know where i can get some organic straw mulch in or around JC? not sure if the garden store on 14th will have any, but i'll probably stop by sometime during the weekend to check.

When buying products to improve soil quality, be sure to read the instructions on the bag. It will give you the ratio to use and will probably tell you to mix it well into the soil to prevent burning the plants. It may also tell you to wear gloves when handling the products. Some products are not advised for container gardening, unless mixed well with plain soil.

For a small garden with crappy soil, I mix about 4 or 5 small bags of fresh compost and about 3 or 4 bags of manure. And some peat moss. Mix and incorporate it well. I would also let it sit for a week and water it before planting..... otherwise, it could burn the plants.

kvg323 wrote:I'm looking to move to a new apartment downtown. New construction isn't my thing so I'm mainly interested in townhouses.

I've had a hard time finding a place that I like that doesn't have a broker fee, my requirements are:

1) 10 minute walk to Path (Exchange, Grove, Newport)2) 2,300 a month or less3) Logical layout/good space (1 or 2 bedroom)4) Lots of sunlight5) Washer/Dryer , outdoor space a major plus. 6) I'm on a month to month lease so would like the new lease to start 20-30 days from now to avoid paying double rent7) Pet friendly (2 cats)

Do you guys think that this is doable on my own ? Or should I cave and use a broker or settle for new construction?

I've tried craigslist with only some luck, no fee brokers and walked around to look for "For Rent" signs.

Thank you!

What exactly is a (downtown) townhouse? I'm picturing the brick & brownstone railroads. In the case of railroads, they are generally on the small (and narrow) side, and because they may not have windows on all four sides... and can be somewhat dark, depending on the room setup. And many of them do not have laundry machines.

I guess I'm not surprised that it's tough to find a downtown, brick & brownstone apartment that is roomy and has lot's of light and the bonus washer & dryer.

Therefore, I would do both.... work with a broker and search on your own. If you like something a broker shows you then you pay a fee, but if you find something on Craiglist or by driving around searching "for rent by owner" signs then you don't pay any fee. I would do both.

I’m going back (again) to the crap they show on the television. Team scenarios involving doctors and interns, cops and rookies, lawyers and wanna-be lawyers…. and I find so much of it to be baloney.

The TV execs want us to believe that young (and very attractive) adults that appear to be straight out of school or college (and wear tight, suggestive clothing to show muscle or cleavage) are these amazing, genius, experts in their field that are not replaceable, while one older doctor or cop heads up the team. In the real world, those that are usually promoted and are the true experts in their field are not very young or fresh out of training camp. Newbies may have energy, drive and be committed, but they also make a lot of mistakes and must follow the rules in order to be successful, get promoted, and stay employed.

The military is very structured, and I’m guessing the police force is set up the same way, with a chain of command and rules, rules, rules.

I don’t know any of these steroid using officers and whether or not they require steroid prescriptions, but I do know that if they want to remain on the police force, that they must understand and take seriously, the strict laws governing drug use, and that “steroids” even by prescription, can be a very harmful drug. If they’re serious about their careers and are able to remain on the force, I hope they will use this experience as a lesson, and put their health, job, and family before any body building passions. And perhaps, shut off the TV.

trp3 wrote:ya know, it's amazing how many people are on the juice these days. honestly, every time I see some guy in public with huge muscles, veins popping out everywhere, I always think to myself there's a great chance he didn't get like that naturally. it's just so common.

I blame the media for the constant images of undressed men (and woman) and the message that bigger is better. And I really don’t get the connection of big muscles and the shaving of body hair on a man. I suppose the hair interferes with the tattoos. It’s just so feminine.

The basketball court has been packed with guys enjoyng it every time I've been down there, so that shows that there is a need for it.

At the time the study was taken, there was a basketball court at the end of 8th street in the Enos Jones park. For those not familiar with Enos Jones park, it was set up for the purpose of recreation and is part of the Hamilton Park neighborhood. This court was not as popular as the court in HP even though it’s just a few blocks away.

Nobody was advocating for the complete removal of both basketball courts in our neighborhood. The court in question was the court in Hamilton Park. I recall the comments at the meetings from residents…. “why do we need two courts” and “why not move the HP court over to Enos Jones park and put them together". Enos Jones is a recreational park. The fact is that this neighborhood has three parks, two of which contain Little League Fields.

And for those crying about racism… it wasn’t just the basketball court that was causing a problem, it was also the two tennis courts and a proposal was on the table to move the two tennis courts over to 10th street to add more green space in front of the Hamilton Square buildings. In the end, no courts (tennis or basketball) were relocated.

On my last visit to Enos Jones park, I don’t recall seeing that old basketball court. I have the impression that it’s been removed, perhaps because it was not used very much. Can anybody confirm if the court at Enos Jones park is still there, and if not, why it was taken out if it was so popular?

In my opinion, it was a terrible idea to keep the basketball court in this park -- because during the park renovation planning (in it’s earliest stage) where participating folks were asked to express and rank their top three needs to come from a renovation, the basketball court ranked very low. The participants favored adequate play areas for the children and wanted space for their dogs to run free. They also valued open green space & gardens. I saw the results and those were the top 3 items residents voted for in the study.

So the final plan included these new items and even included 2 playgrounds and 2 dog runs, but it also included all the low ranking items too. I don’t believe there were any options in regards to moving the court out of historic Hamilton park, and into the recreational park at Enos Jones, where it could have remained in the neighborhood but would not be surrounded by homes. I was (and still am) very disappointed that this court was left in place with money spent to improve it, when so many folks voted it a ‘low priority’.

The court supporters and decision makers that allowed that court to remain in our historic park should be the ones cleaning up the litter. And they know who they are.

I'm probably one of those rare individuals that feel the need to turn my head to look when backing up, but I can't do it properly wearing a seat belt. So I take it off to back up. The car behind me waits (impatiently) while I fasten back up and press forward.... only because it's the law and I don't want to give any municipality the satisfaction of getting any more money out of me.

I hate cars that ding ding ding when I don't put the belt on fast enough. I hate cars that automatically lock me in. And I hate the new seat belt law that's using State (grant) money to pay for extra officers to give out tickets.

margel wrote:It would save a lot more lives if they used those officers to actually enforce traffic laws. Seat belts would be less important with fewer people running red lights and doing 90 down the skyway.

I do agree. The signs on the highway don't really mean anything. I mean... nobody drives 50 on the turnpike. So who actually gets ticketed? The people that drive beyond 25 miles over the speed limit?

I personally hate being told to wear my seat belt. I wear it. But I hate being told that I have to wear it or I'll be ticketed. The new law will make more money for the municipalities.

I worked in the World Financial Center from 1991-2001 and I enjoyed these years. After 9/11, I began working further away and ended up in midtown, which wasn’t my cup of tea. The entertainment industry just lacked the seriousness that the financial district had.

The article says it’s open to the public starting June 4, but I’m assuming we won’t be able to get too close to watch it being assembled.

Something I know...... that male UPS drivers (brown uniform) are not allowed to wear beards. They can wear a mustache, but not a beard of any kind. Also, the men cannot wear their hair long. If they have long hair, they stuff it up under their cap.

I don't know about USPS or Fed Ex but I know a guy that works for UPS and he had to shave his beard when he got the job and his long haired friend never lets his hair down when he's working.

If you see a "UPS" driver with a beard, goatee or facial hair scruff, or wearing long hair... that's a red flag!

When my car got broken into a couple weeks ago, I was told with shrugged shoulders, that it wasn't the crime of the century. And that besides filing the report, nothing could or would be done.

I've been told similar things when filing police reports.... but I also know that it is up to me to push the issue further.

The officer may have been talking from past experience and had similar cases that didn't go anywhere. But we don't know why they didn't go anywhere. Perhaps the person(s) didn't pursue the matter, or didn't have enough evidence to support a case.

After doing some research, if I felt that I had enough evidence to support a case (pictures, documents, witness'), I can assure you that I would proceed to do everything in my power to prosecute, regardless of other people's opinions.

I would put up signs, asking if anyone witnessed the break-in and talk to neighbors around the area your car was parked. Do everything, before doing nothing. Chances are, the person that broke into your car will come back to the neighborhood again and target another car.

Liberal courts and politicians struck down any weight/height requirements as discriminatory.

God forbid... but if I were ever to be carried out of a burning building, I would want it to be by someone that could carry my weight. I can’t speak for other woman, but I know that I could not carry 100 plus pounds down a flight of stairs. I understand discrimination laws are necessary (to some degree) but lowering job and safety standards may be a problem, depending on the job.

I don’t want to take sides in this thread discussion because I have volunteered myself in many community projects -- and -- I appreciate and support our Police dept.

Since my boyfriend has property in both the Bergen-Lafayette and Greenville sections of Jersey City, it has opened my eyes to a whole new world outside of Hamilton Park, and it isn’t pretty. Every time I’m there I see some guy peeing on the sidewalk. The other day I saw a woman squatting in the street to take a piss, at noontime. One day an SUV parked in front of me and two guys got out of the car, saw me sitting in my car by myself and they both proceeded to piss in front of me. Real gentlemen!

I’ve spent some time sitting in municipal court and listen to the cases… public urination, panhandling, littering, over and over. It may not be all glamorous work but I’m glad somebody is making people accountable for their actions.

I guess I’m one of those rare individuals that don’t think the NYC skyline is beautiful. I understand why people pay more money for homes on the ocean, with the infinite horizon, or a lake with a view of trees and cottages…. but a view of the river with a bunch of buildings just a skip and a jump away? To each, his own.

I’m not found of that bayonet. I remember poking around my grandfather’s attic as a child and discovering really old uniforms and a bayonet. It was weird. But it was real.

Some of my favorite movies are Platoon, Gettysburg and most recently the Hurt Locker. All great movies. Not so much because of the fighting action, but the cost of war. I remember the end of Platoon, where Charlie Sheen is leaving Vietnam on a chopper and thinking out loud…. “the war is over for me now, but it will always be there for the rest of my days”. And the scene from the Hurt Locker where the guy is back from Iraq and in the grocery store, overwhelmed by the huge selection of cereals, and throws any ol’ box in the grocery cart.

Just like 9/11. People will not forget a major terrorist attack. I won’t. I wish I could. I remember attending services at St. Michaels in Hamilton Park that evening. I couldn’t talk; wouldn’t talk for days. Now whenever I pass a 9/11 memorial, I pause for a moment and shed a tear. I just wish folks could understand that not all 9/11 victims are dead. Many are walking the streets today.

We are in the process of getting proposals, but I am wondering - what is a reasonable annual cost for a condo of our size, 54 units? We have a garage, but no yard or other amenities, such as health clubs etc.

I wouldn't know. We have just 10 units. It's probably best to get at least 3 quotes to compare and be very clear about what you want them to do.

Is there any way to salvage the relationship with your current manager? Perhaps a face to face meeting with the agent to let them know why you're not satisfied and tell them what you need to be improved on. If they're not willing to work with you then you have no choice but to move on. Good luck.

Are the owners that are suggesting to end the relationship with your current manager unhappy with them or just looking to save money? Do the people serve on the Board and have any responsibilities now? They may not realize how much time is involved in a building of that size.

If they're unhappy with the manager, you may want to look for another -- or -- you could try and negotiate a deal where a management company plays a limited role and the Board will handle the balance of responsibilities.

For example the manager could handle and be paid for 60 or 70 % of the duties and the Board would handle the remaining 30 or 40 %. This would allow the Board to save some money and give the association the opportunity to see how much work there really is, before making that kind of decision. If it's too much, you ask the manager to take over and pay them accordingly.

I personally would want the manager to handle the billing, accounts payable, receivable, check writing/deposits, and so forth. The board could handle the maintenance by working directly with contractors and acting in a supervisory role. I would hate to see a contractor in my building and not know who they are, what job they're doing, and have to refer to the manager to learn what they're being paid. I would prefer the association to handle getting the estimates, negotiating work contracts and supervising the work while it's being done.

Many here know that a poster was successfully arrested by the JCPD for creating alarmist posts of "wilding" being contemplated at area schools during Halloween. The webmaster had to provide that user's info under a prosecutorial warrant.

The only comment at this time with this thread is your last post, Brightmoment.

The person who you mentioned that was arrested for his postings on Halloween Night posted that numerous teenagers were shot and killed. This flooded our 911 system and caused panic through out the community.

He was charged with; risking wide spread injury and public false alarms. These were N.J.S.A. 2C:criminal charges.

I cannot see the comparison in this thread and the one that was done on Halloween Eve a few years back.

I think the point is that people are (slowly) being made more accountable for what they post and publish on internet websites. As per the NJ statues.... Harassment (to cause annoyance and alarm) is also criminal... so it's up to a judge. In the Halloween case, the webmaster had to provide the users info.... if he failed to cooperate and protect the poster.... it's considered aiding and abetting.

You know those infomercials on TV that sell anti-wrinkle products and gadgets that claim to remove cellulite? Question: Who buys products based on the claims of an infomerical? Answer: Scores of people. Because people can be gullible and believe what they hear and read.

Having been the butt of many a joke on internet websites, I can tell you from experience that many folks believe what they read. It can spiral out of control and pop up on other sites where more people (including admins) post non-factual information solely based on gossip and hearsay.

Just because someone filed a police report means nothing more than someone made a statement to the police. The police have to take the statement and file the report. After that, if someone presses charges, it goes to court. If there is no proof, there is no trial, no charges and no story…. only gossip.

Truth is worth defending. It means everything.

I’ve had very good experiences with the Jersey City police.

I have no respect for criminals. I don’t care what their position is, was, will ever be.

I respect our veterans and soldiers. Even when I do not approve of our government wars.

I would not assume that a building is poorly managed unless you know that is the case, because a reserve of $8,000. may not be wonderfully large, but it’s not poor either. Especially when you learn the facts about maintenance costs.

I’m particularly interested in this topic, mainly because of my experience with my own condo purchase. At one time our account was only $300. Since that time, I never took my eyes off the spending. And if you hire an attorney to handle the closing… don’t do like I did and assume they’ve covered everything. Next time I’ll actually have it written into my contract that they'll provide me with the financial statements in a timely manner.

Some folks feel that increasing monthly maintenance fees in order to have a larger reserve, as a cushion, just in case, is the way to go. I disagree. In a building that is maintained regularly, we already know (approx.) how much time we have before something has to be replaced. We know how much must be budgeted in advance to reach that goal. Example: if our roof needs to be replaced in approx. 10 years and the going rate for a new roof is approx. $10,000., then we need to plan ahead by budgeting $1,000. every year, over the next 10 years, in order to pay for the roof in 2020. If something should happen before that time, we have insurance. I’m not in favor of increasing maintenance fees all around to cover the cost of worrying.

It is the board of directors’ responsibility to budget accordingly and to be responsible with spending. And it’s the BOD’s responsibility to monitor the activity and spending of a property manager.

In the event a special assessment is needed…. the board of directors can make it easy on the association by spacing out payments over a period of several months. And some homeowner insurance policies even cover “special assessments”.

Boilers and hot water heaters service a particular unit and at $190. is most likely each unit owners responsibility. Same for apartment entry doors and windows.

A new roof will last a long time if done correctly. Same for brick re-pointing.

A problem our condo had in the past was the overspending of funds and it was done by our property manager at that time. We were almost flat broke. Hard to believe because I had hired an attorney and asked that he look into the finances before closing... but I failed to follow up with him and learned the hard way... which was after I closed.

I started reading the master deed, bylaws, rules & regulations and then started asking questions and requested the balance sheets and bank statements. What I found was that association money was being spent on items that were not even the associations responsibility. Not to mention over paid contractors that did poor work with no warranty. We were getting ripped off.

At that time there was no board of directors, and so I formed a board, requested credits for the jobs that were the responsibility of a unit owner and shopped around for better rates on insurance, exterminating, cleaning and a new property manager. Within a short period of time we were doing okay.

Some money should also be set aside as part of a Budget to cover major work for a new roof, brick re-pointing, brownstone repairs, waterproofing, common plumbing, carpeting, paint and other repairs. This will add up over time so that there are available funds when the time comes. If the funds are not enough to cover, then a special assessment is applied to cover the balance of the project.

I have yet to try Hamilton Inn but I welcome them to the neighborhood. I did enjoy the last place.. I enjoyed just sitting at the bar, munching on a juicy burger and watching NHL hockey on the TV screen. Sounds like Hamilton Inn has good burgers too.

About the selection of beers... my long time favorite is (and always has been) the king of beers, clean, crispy Budweiser. I guess I'm happy to know they support American breweries.

The music... I hate loud music (these days) but boy did I love it when I was younger. Perhaps the JC List crowd tends to be older. I see a lot of young people in New York restaurants eating... while loud music is blasting. But it's not for me. Perhaps they will turn it down during earlier hours and turn it up later on in the evening... to please both groups, young and old!

I not sure if some people understand what a community garden is. Yes, there are places were people pay a small membership fee and are assigned a small plot to grow whatever they desire (flowers, vegetables, herbs). Another example is Van Vorst Park. The VVP gardens are maintained by volunteers from the community and are indeed "community gardens".

Since there is no plan (yet) for HP.... I'd be welcoming anybody that offers to come forth and help maintain the new gardens and thank them. It is wrong for certain individuals to pick and choose who can (and who can't) be involved. Volunteers shouldn't be required to become part of a life long commitment to maintaining the park to qualify or start up some conservancy group. There currently is no plan and whomever wants to help should be able to do so without hindering.

PS…. Some of the volunteers that pitched in to help clean up the park during our past events were homeless. Nobody was paid to work…. all we could give people was a sandwich, but they worked hard as anybody and were appreciated. God bless them, wherever they are now.